If you can’t realistically get away for that long, I suggest a vacation no shorter than two weeks. You need as much time as possible to disconnect and recharge. When you come back from your break, you’ll be as ready as ever to jump back into the business. Goodbye, slump.

2. Make a list of everything that’s going right.

When entrepreneurs slump, it’s often because they are discouraged about all the things in the business that are going wrong -- losses, plateaus, competition, risks. Overthinking the negatives produces a negative response.

Try making a list of everything that’s going right. You could call it thankfulness, gratitude, or mindfulness. Focusing on the good causes us to be grateful for the good, which produces an uptick of positive emotions and physiological responses.

It has affected everything. It has made me a more positive person. A more productive person. A better achiever. A better husband and father and son and brother (at least, I like to think so). A happier person. I’m not perfect, but gratitude has made me better.

In your entrepreneurial case, find something else to work on. You’re an entrepreneur. Do you have another hobby business idea to work on? Some fun software to build? Another design to create? Or maybe you just need to forget business for a while and throw yourself into a hobby.

Do it. The minute you do, you’ll be a step or three closer to snapping out of your slump.

Cultivate posture habits that contribute to your wellbeing. They may not change behavior, but they do affect the mind in subtle ways. You’ll feel more confident, more powerful, and more likely to snap out of your slump.

5. Spend some time complaining.

Getting stuff off your chest helps. What you might need to do is to whine and complain for a little while. Yep, it’s scientifically approved.

The process of complaining also helps us to narrow down the cause and source of the problem we’re facing. When we complain appropriately, it refocuses our minds. You might just get a flash of extraordinary insight that helps you pull through the slump. But if not, you’ll at least have the advantage of knowing that you’ve aired your concerns.

To whom do you complain? Complaining on paper -- writing out your complaints -- is probably the most effective and easiest. If paper isn’t your thing, find a neutral and detached mentor who doesn’t mind listening for a while. Remember, you’re not searching for pity. You’re airing your complaints. There’s a difference.

Be careful not to complain to business associates such as co-founders, employees, customers, or service providers.

6. Do something radical with the business.

Entrepreneurs thrive on risk. A tendency toward risk is what fueled your interest in entrepreneurship in the first place. Risk is what can spark your entrepreneurial passions once more.

To take radical action is to take risk. Some of the best moments in my businesses have been the moments when I’ve made a major move. The fact that they were risky moves actually inspired me, pushed me, and drove me to greater levels of success.

Here are a few of the risks that could blast you out of a slump:

Firing an underperforming worker who may be holding the business back

Hiring a rockstar salesperson

Launching a new product

Acquiring another business

Opening a new location

Getting bought out

Going public

Radical moves produce radical internal motivation, and this could be exactly what you need to fire you up.

Conclusion

If you’re in a slump right now, there are ways to get out. And if you’re not in a slump, consider this as a good a time as any to try one of these techniques. Who knows how much higher you can go?